The present invention is generally related to the technology of electronic discussion groups on computer networks, and more particularly to a system for providing closed captioning from television programming directly to an electronic discussion group.
Closed captioning (or "CC") has recently gained a much wider acceptance in television programming. CC is the transcription of dialog on a television program, to appear in small blocks or "captions" at the bottom or top of a television screen, while the television program is in progress. Typically, CC follows the actual dialog on the television program by only a few seconds. CC is generally a word-for-word transcription of the dialog as it occurs among the participants of a television program.
CC is not limited to the television environment. For example, movies designated for the big screens at theaters have used CC from time-to-time in foreign language films to provide an interpretation for viewers who may not understand the foreign language. In recent years televised courtroom trials have used CC.
Computer networks are also growing in popularity as very large networks are now offering information services to millions of subscribers. A popular feature of such networks are electronic discussion groups sometimes referred to as "bulletin boards" or FORUMS.RTM. (a registered service mark of CompuServe Incorporated). In these discussion groups, two or more users (typically using their home or office microcomputers, connected by modem to the network and/or bulletin board) exchange messages over the network, on a variety of subjects. Some discussion groups are restricted to a certain subject, while others are unrestricted.
The discussion starts by one user posting a message onto the particular electronic format in use. This message can then be viewed by a second user, accessing the discussion group, on the second user's microcomputer terminal. The second user can then respond to the first user's message by entering a reply through the second user's keyboard. The second user's reply can then be viewed by the first user, at the first user's microcomputer. Additional users can access the discussion group in the same manner.
Although the above described methods of CC and electronic discussion groups have been provided for background purposes, they should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention to the particular descriptions provided. There remain other implementations of CC and electronic discussion groups known to those of ordinary skill in the art, which would be applicable for use as a part of the present invention, and as such are within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a unique system for providing CC directly into an electronic discussion group in substantially real time. With the present invention, a person logged onto an electronic discussion group about a particular television program, may receive CC from the television program directly into his microcomputer. The person may then respond, via his microcomputer, to people on the television program (receiving the responses through a terminal or other data receiving device in the television studio), as the program is ongoing. Thus, the participants in the television program may "interact" with the electronic discussion group. This interaction may involve continuing electronic discussion between the television program participants and the electronic discussion group members.
Additionally, video clips may be incorporated with the present invention. For example, members of the electronic discussion group may receive graphical images of the television studio, on the members' microcomputer terminals. The video clips or images may be transmitted periodically to the members' screens to enable them to see the television program at their microcomputer, without need for a television. The microcomputers are preferably capable of showing the video clips on a portion of the terminal screen, while another portion of the screen is displaying CC and entered messages.